Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Michelle Keen, who lead the investigation into the explosion, spoke to Leicestershire Live about the night of the blast.

She revealed details from the 10-month investigation as well as the fallout in the moments and days after the explosion.

She said: "It was a shocking scene of devastation and destruction in which tragically five people lost their lives and a number of people were injured.

"It was quickly declared a major incident for Leicestershire Police, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue and East Midlands Ambulance Service and Leicester City Council because of the magnitude of what was faced.

"It was a cold winter's evening, shortly after 7 o'clock at night, people going about their business and much like the Ragoobeer family who were relaxing at home, preparing for the week ahead, when the explosion took place.

"Officers were quickly on the scene as a passing patrol car, about 300 metres down the road felt the force of the explosion and actually thought that they'd been hit by another vehicle.

"They've returned to the scene to find the level of devastation and quickly, with members of the public, have tended to those who were found to be injured, those that were trapped and evacuated, those nearby."

A jury today returned its verdict in the trial of three men accused of causing the explosion and murdering five people.

Kurd, and his co-defendants Hawkar Hassan and Arkan Ali have all been found guilty of murder and conspiracy to commit insurance fraud.

Mary Ragoobeer, 46, her two sons Shane, 18, and Sean, 17, and Shane's girlfriend Leah Beth Reek, 18, died in the explosion. They were in the flat above the Polish supermarket Zabka which exploded on Sunday, February 25.

Viktorija Ijevleva, 22, also died in the blast, which happened shortly after 7pm. She is believed to have been in the shop at the time.

The three men also denied conspiring together - and with Miss Ijevleva who was Ali's girlfriend - to commit insurance fraud, relating to a fire at the shop.

What was the impact of the explosion?

DCI Keen added: "So, the impact of this has been significant. First and foremost for those families of those that sadly lost their lives, something which I am sure they will never get over.

"Those that were injured at the time, certainly the male that was injured and spent a period of time in hospital. To members of the public that were passing by and were helping in those rescue efforts initially. Members of the public that were evacuated and in the area at the time, and those other members of the wider community that were affected whether that be by the services, having to be evacuated or by the roads, and the impact of the subsequent investigation and rescue attempts.

"This was extremely resource intensive for ourselves and our partners. Staff and officers from Leicestershire Police, as well as the wider region were deployed in excess of 150, and that investigation continued. A major incident room was set up at the point that we'd identified that a criminal act was suspected, and that's continued to run for the past 10 months with officers and staff dedicated to this investigation.

"The level of investigation is particularly challenging and complex, over 4,000 lines of inquiry took place, over 1,000 witness statements taken, 2.500 exhibits have been offered, and over 700 hours of CCTV has been recovered and viewed."

What did the investigation find out?

After the explosion, Leicestershire Police began investigating the cause.

DCI Keen said: "Initially, there was a number of possibilities, a number of hypotheses about what could have caused the explosion.

"An investigation immediately began in order to understand that, and by pursuing all the lines of inquiry, CCTV witness accounts and forensics, we were able to establish that the cause of the fire was petrol, petrol in the basement, and that was significantly mixed with something called MPD, which is Medium Petroleum Distillate, which covers things like white spirits and barbecue fuel. The purpose of that being that the petrol would be a very volatile substance and would ignite easily, and the MPD would allow for the subsequent fire to burn with more intensity.

"The evidence that we've identified leads us to understand that there was a level of planning and preparation in the weeks leading up to the explosion.

"The lease for the business was taken out in December 2017, significant investment was put into the shop to set that up, and it opened on Christmas Eve 2017. We understand that it wasn't as profitable as perhaps expected, and then the arrangements and planning began relating to an insurance claim. The motive we believe is financial gain and greed.

"The insurance policy was taken out, an over-inflated insurance policy was taken out, smoke alarms were purchased, fire extinguishers purchased, along with rubbish from the rear yard being disposed of, and finally a large quanity of petrol being purchased. All acts of planning and ensuring that the subsequent insurance claim wasn't invalidated.

"So what we understand is all parties were associated to each other, Mr Ali and Hassan both knowing each other and working with each other in another county. All recently moving to Coventry with Mr Ali's partner Miss Ijevleva, and they took the lease of a shop in Coventry from Mr Kurd.

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"They pay then to have a vested interest in the shop, Zabka, and they continued in helping with the set-up and the running of that shop leading up to the explosion.

"There was an intention that this explosion was significant, and there appears to have been a complete lack of regard for human life."

Would they have known a family was upstairs?

The Ragoobeer family, along with 18-year-old Shane's girlfriend Leah were upstairs in their flat at the time of the blast.

Mary, Shane, Sean and Leah were killed in the explosion, and 15-year-old Scotty was injured.

DCI Keen has said the evidence found by police indicates that those responsible for the explosion would have known there were people upstairs.

She added: "This is one of the largest investigations Leicestershire Police has had for many years, and likewise for our partners. It has had a significant impact on the families primarily, the wider community, and those officers and staff that have dealt with this incident.

"The families, clearly, this is devastating for them to lose loved ones in such devastating circumstances and something which I'm sure they'll never get over.

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"The evidence we have identified would indicate that the people living above the flat had one entry and exit and that was above the access to the basement. We believe, from the evidence that we've identified, that they would have known that people were in the flat above.

"It was a family that lived above there. It was a Sunday night and people are generally preparing for the week ahead."

How was Viktorija involved?

Viktorija is believed to have been involved in the insurance claim.

DCI Keen suggests the defendants decided she 'knew too much' and was therefore killed. She added: "Enquiries have identified that Viktorija was present with the group as part of that planning and preparation, her involvement with the set-up of the shop and the running of that shop.

Viktorija Ijevleva, who died in the Hinckley Road explosion. (Image: Supplied picture)

"Of course we don't know her knowledge as to exactly what the plans were because unfortunately she lost her life as part of this incident. But certainly evidence has been identified of her involvement with the group, with those acts of planning.

"The fact is she can't be complicit in her own murder.

"The evidence indicates that she knew too much and their plan was that she would be caught up in the explosion and killed as part of that explosion."